The invention relates to a spreading device for spreading clamping backs used in the binding of sheet and especially for a spreading device in a combined punch and binding machine.
Binding machines for binding paper sheets are highly desirable and useful office machines. Such binding apparatuses are widely utilized in professional offices for binding sheets utilized in reports, presentations and the like. These machines generally include a hole punching assembly and a binding section for binding with various types of binding strips such as the Personal VeloBinder or Douvry-type binding elements. These are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,502. The binding apparatus for paper sheets illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,502 includes binding blades for bending flexible studs of one binding strip which fit into grooves on a second aperatured binding strip through which the studs pass. This apparatus is complex, in that it includes a plurality of racks and gears. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a binding apparatus including a spreading device of simplified construction.